Fluid cleaning apparatus



Nov. 10, 1953 H. E. THQRNHILL FLUID CLEANING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 30, 1951 IN VEN TOR.

Homer E. Thorn/w Nov. 10, 1953 H. E. THORNHILL 2,653,623 FLUID CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 30, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Homer 7770r/7/7/// I INVENTOR. WJW

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Nov. 10, 1953 H. E. THORNHILL 2,658,623

FLUID CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 30,, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Homer 5 7770r/7/7l/l IN V EN TOR.

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A TTOR/VEKS Patented Nov. 10, 1953 FLUID CLEANING APPARATUS Homer E. Thornhill, Houston, Tex., assignor to Thornhill-Craver 00., Inc., Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application April 30, 1951, Serial No. 223,745

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to fluid cleaning apparatuses and particularly to apparatuses for removing foreign matter and solid particles from liquids moving through flow lines.

The invention is an improvement on the fluid cleaning apparatus disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 131,017, filed December 3, 1949.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement for cleaning the screen or strainer in the cleaning apparatus, whereby said screen or strainer may be easily, quickly and thoroughly cleaned without removing it from the cleaning apparatus.

An important object of the invention is to provide a rotating spray head for directing streams of cleaning fluid against the interior of the screen, whereby the number of spray nozzles required may be decreased so that efiicient cleaning of the screen surface may be accomplished while decreasing the volume of cleaning fluid which is necessary to properly clean said screen.

A further object is to mount the rotating spray head assembly on the end cover of the cleaning apparatus, which cover is hinged in a manner to permit the entire spray head assembly to be swung outwardly to permit access to the interior of the apparatus for periodic inspection of the screen or for replacement of said screen in the event such replacement is desired.

Still another object is to provide an improved rotating spray head assembly for cleaning apparatus which is applicable to either horizontal or vertical vessels.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cleaning apparatus, constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating the hinged cover and spray head assembly swung outwardly in dotted line position,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure l,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of the cover and a portion of the spray head,

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the hinged supporting arm for the closure and spray head assembly,

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of the invention,

Figure '7 is a similar view of the upper portion of this form showing the cover and spray head assembly hinged outwardly, and

Figure 8 is a partial sectional view of the cleaning screen or strainer.

In the drawings, the numeral it designates a vessel having an axial inlet I i at one end thereof in which an inlet pipe I2 is disposed. The upper portion of the vessel is ofiset as indicated at Illa and is provided with an outlet 63 having an outlet pipe I i connected thereto. A cylindrical screen or strainer I5 is mounted axially within the vessel between the inlet I I and the outlet I3. The vessel is provided with a drain opening I6 having a drain pipe I! extending therefrom and said drain is disposed adjacent the inlet end of the vessel. The end of the screen adjacent the drain is open so that foreign matter accumulating within the screen may be swept out of the screen into the drain pipe I l and such foreign matter is swept out by concentrated streams of cleaning fluid, as fully described in my co-pending application. To prevent the foreign matter in cleaning fluid from entering the inlet pipe I2 during the cleaning operation, a pivoted bafile I8 is mounted on the end of said pipe.

The annular screen or strainer I 5 extends sub stantially throughout the length of the vessel and that end of the vessel opposite the inlet end is closed by a suitable cover or closure I9. The inlet and outlet pipes I 2 and I4 are connected in a flow line such as a pipe line, and it will be evident that the fluid directed through the vessel must pass through the screen Iii in passing from the inlet pipe I2 to the outlet pipe I4, whereby foreign matter is strained from the fluid by said screen.

In my prior co-pending application, the cleaning of the screen is accomplished by concentrated streams of cleaning fluid issuing under high pressure from circumferentially spaced nozzles which were permanently mounted in fixed radial positions at the closed end of the vessel. The present invention resides primarily in the improved spray head assembly A which is carried by the closure I9. As is clearly shown in Figures 1 to 4, the spray head assembly includes an axial tubular shaft 20 having spray heads 2 I, '22 and 23 mounted thereon. The innermost spray head ZI is mounted on the end of the tubular shaft and is in communication with the bore thereof whereby cleaning fluid may be directed to the nozzles 2Ia of said head. The spray heads 22 and 23 are mounted in the manner illustrated in Figure 4 with the interior of each head communicating with the bore of the tubular shaft through a radial opening 24 and thus, cleaning fluid may be directed through the tubular shaft 29 to the nozzles 22a and 23a of the spray heads 22 and 23.

As is clearly shown in Figure 2, the spray heads are inclined so as to position the nozzles of said heads in a manner to direct concentrated streams of cleaning fluid onto the interior surface of the screen at the desired angle. It will be evident that when the tubular shaft 20 is rotated the inclined spray heads will be rotated within the interior of the screen, and thus the streams of cleaning fluid will be caused to traverse the entire inner area of the screen for cleaning purposes. The tubular shaft 20 may, if desired, be constructed in sections which are connected by a suitable coupling 25.

The outer end of the tubular shaft 20 extends through an axial opening 26 provided in the closure or end cover l9 and extends into an annular swivel head 2'1. The swivel head is preferably formed integral with the cover and a suitable bearing 28 is mounted in the outer end of the bore of said head to rotatably mount the shaft 20 with respect to the head. A radial inlet opening 29 having a cleaning fluid inlet pipe 30 connected thereto is formed in the wall of the head, and this opening is in communication with the bore of the tubular shaft through a plurality of openings 3| (Figure 4). Packing glands 32 and 33 are mounted on opposite sides of the openings 3| and seal off between the swivel head and the shaft, whereby cleaning fluid introduced through the pipe 30 will be directed into the bore of the shaft 20; from the bore of the shaft, such cleaning fluid may pass to the nozzles of the inclined spray heads 2|, 22 and 23.

The closure or end plate I!) is engageable with the end of the vessel and is adapted to be coupled thereto by a coupling collar or ring 34. As illustrated in Figure 2, a suitable packing gasket 35 is interposed between the closure I9 and the end of the vessel. The end of the vessel is formed with an annular shoulder 36 which is engaged by an annular portion 31 on the coupling collar. The coupling collar is adapted to interlock with the closure by means of wedge lugs or shelves 38 formed on the periphery of the closure and complementary lugs or shelves 39 provided on the collar 34. The collar has outwardly extending ears 40 while the closure has extensions 4| which when the closure is in position abut the ears 40 and permit connecting bolts 42 to fasten the parts together (Figure 3). As shown in Figure 3, the lugs or shelves 39 on the collar are adapted to enter the spaces between the lugs or shelves 338 of the closure after which a rotation of the collar with respect to the closure moves the lugs 40 and extensions 4| in position to receive the bolts 42-. By tightening the bolts 42, additional relative rotation between the collar and the closure is effected with the result that the wedge surfaces of the lugs 38 and 39 move the closure into tight sealing position on the end of the vessel.

The cover or closure is carried by a hinge arm 43 (Figure which arm has a curved extension 44 pivotally secured to a supporting bracket 45. The bracket is welded or otherwise secured to the exterior of the vessel ID. The supporting arm 43 has the end opposite the extension 44 welded or otherwise secured to an annular flanged ring 46, which ring is adapted to surround the end of the swivel head 21. The ring is secured to the swivel head by complementary ears or clips 41 and bolts 48. In addition to the connection'with the swivel head, the arm 43 is connected to ears '49 by lugs 50 and bolts 5|. With this arrangement it will be evident that the pivot bolt 52 which connects the supporting bracket 45 to the hinge arm 43 provides a hinge point on which the closure I! may swing, and since the spray head assembly is secured to the closure, the entire closure and spray head assembly may be swung outwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

For imparting rotation to the shaft to rotate the spray heads a suitable electric motor 53, hydraulic motor or other prime mover is bolted to a supporting bracket 54, which in turn is secured to the arm 43. The motor shaft 55 has connection with a gear reduction unit 56 which unit is bolted to the flange 46a of the flange ring 46. It will be evident that when the motor is operated the spray heads 2|, 22' and 23 are rotated to traverse the entire internal area of the screen or strainer l5 and to direct concentrated streams of cleaning fluid through the nozzles onto the interior surface of the screen to thereby wash foreign matter from the screen through the opening end thereof and into the drain.

The particular type of coupling which includes the collar 34 and the coacting wedges makes it possible to quickly detach the closure I9 from the end of the vessel. The closure I9 and the spray head assembly may then be swung outwardly on the hinge pin 52 and the length of the shaft 20 is in such relationship to the position of the hinge pin that the inner spray head 2| will clear the open end of the vessel. Thus, access to the interior of the vessel and to the screen I5 may be had. If for some reason the closure and spray head assembly may not be swung so that the inner spray heads 2| and 22 clear the open end of the vessel, in that case the coupling may detach the two inner spray heads to allow free access to the interior of the vessel. It will, of course, be understood that the inlet line may have a suitable coupling (not shown) connected therein to allow detachment of this line when the cover and assembly is to be swung.

The particular arrangement of the spray heads makes-it possible to utilize a minimum number of spray nozzles in order to effectively clean the interior of the screen. It is evident that by providing for a rotation of the nozzles a lesser number of nozzles may be employed while still traversing the entire interior of the screen, and this results in a lesser amount of cleaning fluid being necessary to accomplish the cleaning operation.

In Figures 1 to 5, the invention has been illustrated as applied to a horizontal vessel, but it is also applicable to a vertical vessel. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figures 6 to 8, wherein the vessel H0 is provided with an inlet Ill, outlet H2 and a drain H6 with a strainer or screen ||5 located between the inlet and the outlet. A spray head assembly B which includes two spray heads |2| and I22 disposed at desired'angles and mounted on a rotatable shaft 20 is mounted within an end closure ||9. A hinge bracket I43 hinged on a pin I52 to a supporting bracket is bolted at I5| and I48 to the closure and spray head assembly. The closure H9 is adapted to be connected to the open upper end of the vessel H0 by a coupling collar |34a which has wedge elements or shelves coacting with complementary wedge elements or shelves on the closure.

The operation of this form is identical to the form heretofore described and as shown in Figure 7, the closure H9 and spray head assembly may be swung outwardly to permit free access to the interior of the vessel. The particular strainer or screen l5 and H5 which is employed may be of any desired construction but preferably includes a cylindrical backing element 66 (Figure 8) having openings 61 therein with an annular screen 62 disposed within the member 60. The openings 61 are preferably in longitudinal alignment to assure proper backing strength in the backing member 6t,

It is evident that the invention contemplates the provision of a rotatable spray head assembly which includes a plurality of spray heads; the particular number of heads may vary and the disposition of each head is such that the spray nozzles direct concentrated streams of cleaning fluid against the internal surface of the screen or strainer at the desired angle which will most H efficiently clean said surface. As has been noted, the provision of the rotating spray heads permits a lesser number of nozzles to be employed, while maintaining cleaning efiiciency, and this results in lesser cleaning fluid being required for the cleaning operation.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A cleaning apparatus including, a vessel having an inlet, an outlet and a drain, a tubular screen between said inlet and outlet and having one end opening toward said drain, that end of the vessel opposite the drain being open, a hinged closure for closing the open end of the vessel, and a spray head assembly mounted on the closure and extending into the vessel adjacent that end of the screen opposite the drain, said spray head assembly including a tubular rotatable shaft disposed axially of the screen, spray heads mounted on said shaft at an inclination with respect to the axis of the shaft, each spray head having nozzles which are inclined with respect to the internal surface of the screen, and means for supplying fluid to the tubular shaft and spray heads whereby concentrated streams of fluid are directed onto the interior surface of the screen and also whereby the fluid moves longitudinally through the screen to the drain.

2. A cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tubular shaft is constructed in sections which are connected by a coupling, whereby the shaft sections may be disconnected to allow swinging of the closure to an open position.

3. A cleaning apparatus including, a vessel having an inlet, an outlet and a drain, a tubular screen between said inlet and outlet and having one end opening toward said drain, a rotatable spray head within the other end of said screen and having nozzles to discharge a cleaning fluid longitudinally through the screen and upon the interior surface of said screen, said spray head being disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said screen whereby concentrated streams of cleaning fluid are discharged from said nozzles at an angle to the axis of said screen and upon the interior surface of said screen.

HOMER E. THORNHILL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 511,204 Johnson Dec. 19, 1893 550,583 Brinckman et al Dec. 3, 1895 748,821 Wackerow Jan. 5, 1904 1,611,739 Hadfield Dec. 21, 1926 1,624,865 Freel Apr. 12, 1927 1,877,157 Cannon Sept. 13, 1932 1,964,326 McNamara et al. June 26, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS I-lumber Country Date 629,059 France Nov. 3, 1927 594,601 Great Britain Nov. 14, 1947 

